Ahsoka's Legend: Ascension
by iSparks
Summary: Ahsoka wanted nothing more than to be a Jedi; her life had been so full of light and promise as the Padawan of Anakin Skywalker and a Commander in one of the greatest armies to ever march across the Galaxy. Now however, everything has changed and as she descends the steps of the Jedi Temple, Ahsoka must look forward, as her new life begins.
1. In My Hour of Need

**Synopsis:** Ahsoka wanted nothing more than to be a Jedi; her life had been so full of light and promise as the Padawan of Anakin Skywalker and a Commander in one of the greatest armies to ever march across the Galaxy. Now however, everything has changed. Ahsoka has been betrayed, lied to and abandoned by the people she would have called her adopted family, she had been forced to question the only way of life she knew and walk away from those she cared about with a lack of trust in both them and herself. Ahsoka's destiny is now in her own hands and as she descends the steps of the temple she used to call home and new and potentially life changing path is set out in front of her feet, though even when she thinks she's escaped the past and the shadow of betrayal, those who would think themselves wise can make the most unwise mistakes.

* * *

**Ascension**

**Chapter 1**

**Prologue: In My Hour of Need**

* * *

_The warm rays of the setting sun danced gently across Coruscant's surface, turning the hard white stone of the ancient Jedi Temple to a pale shade of gold as the city planet slowly began to plunge itself into the darkness of night._

_To most of the planets inhabitants, this marked the end of another working day, a time when they would return to their families, a time to rest and be happy with those whom they cared about, and yet, not all who walked the planets streets that night could say they were happy._

"_I know…"_

_Those were her last words to him, and Ahsoka couldn't help but think about their significance as she slowly descended the steps of what was now her former home, leaving her former master and her best friend, Anakin Skywalker, to watch as she left the only way of life she had ever known._

_Ahsoka had tears in her eyes, tears of anger, of sadness and of loss. A week ago she was the Padawan to the Chosen One and a Commander in the greatest army ever seen in the history of the galaxy, but now, now she was nothing more than an exile._

_She wanted to turn around and run back, to wrap her arms around her master and beg his forgiveness, she wanted to become a Jedi again just so she could look over him like he had always looked over her, she wanted to hear him say that everything would be alright, even if she knew it was a lie, somehow, she just knew she needed to hear it._

* * *

**Disclaimer:** Disney and Lucasfilm Limited own all Star Wars characters and concepts. I do not own the rights to any of the characters, locations or anything to do with Star Wars. Any Original Characters and or locations however are my own.

**Author's Notes: **Hey guys, hope you all liked this little Prologue to what will hopefully be a long and enjoyable story.

I know I've been building this up for quite a while since I finished _The Broken Hearted Padawan _and I'm really sorry for taking so long to finally get this show on the road. You all voted for it, so here it is, a prequel to TBHP and the story of Ahsoka's journey from the moments after she left the Jedi Order right up to her redemption.

I'll be doing my best to make sure I upload as regularly as I did with TBHP and again I really hope you all like what I have planned for what I hope will be my best story yet.

Anyways, thank you all so much for reading and I will catch you guys next time, cheers!


	2. Lost Child

**Ascension**

**Chapter 2**

**Lost Child**

* * *

Ahsoka sighed sadly as she dug through yet another pile of empty and broken crates, desperately searching for something she had lost the night before as the air around her seemed to grow colder and the sound of faraway sirens filled her sensitive montrals.

She didn't now how it had happened, but somehow, after aimlessly roaming the streets of Coruscant's many districts, she had managed to emerge back at the seemingly bottomless pit that was the entrance to the city planets underworld, a place where the vile and dangerous criminals of the world plotted constantly in their quest for wealth and power and a place she had hoped she would never have to see again.

It took a lot for her to board the elevator that would take her to Level 1315 and the warehouse where, only twenty four hours earlier, she had been stunned and arrested by Commander Wolffe and his squad of clone troopers, only to be taken back to the Jedi Temple and put on trial for a crime she never committed.

Now she was here, back where the quest to prove her innocence had ended and searching for the only thing she felt she would need before starting her new life, her lightsaber.

"This weapon is your life" Ahsoka silently muttered her Masters words to herself as she used the force to quickly dispose of yet another row of shattered nano-droid crates, finding that the republic had been quick to destroy any trace of the accursed weapons only to leave the area in a state of disrepair, a fact that only added to Ahsoka's growing frustration as she slowly made her way through the wreckage in search of her lost weapon.

A single tear ran down her already stained and flushed orange cheek as she reflected on all that had happened, continuing to ask herself where and how it had all gone so terribly wrong, though no matter how much she tried, she couldn't shake the feeling that it was all her fault.

If she hadn't escaped the Republic prison like she had, if she hadn't ran away when Anakin had promised her he would prove her innocence, would things have turned been any different?

Ahsoka wiped the tear away, she didn't want to think about it anymore, she didn't want to be hurt in the way she had been and she didn't want to feel as betrayed as she had by those whom she would once have considered her friends and extended family.

There was nothing she could do now to change what had happened, even if that was all she wanted at that moment.

She wished she could wipe her memory clean and forget about it, that she could wake up in her quarters back at the temple and be greeted by her master before one of their early morning training sessions, the reality however was totally different.

"Blast it!" Ahsoka shouted at the top of her lungs as she drew her foot back and kicked the closest crate to her in frustration.

She had now searched the entire warehouse and not found a trace of her lightsaber, a fact that only added to her ever growing sadness as she dropped to her knees and covered her darkened blue eyes in a failed attempt to stop the tears that were now streaming freely down her soft cheeks.

Ahsoka dropped her hands to the cold steel floor as she let her grief finally get the best of her and she began to franticly punch the rusted ground beneath her, ignoring the slight pain it was causing as she cried out.

"It's not fair!" she shouted, trying as hard as she could to contain her emotions only to end up bringing her fists together and sinking her head in between her arms as she let the tears flow.

She had never felt as helpless or alone as she was at that moment as memories of what had happened to her flooded back and she remembered every painful detail of the events that had transpired the last time she stood in this place.

She was so sure Ventress had betrayed her, that she was the one behind the attacks on the temple, the murder of Letta Turmond and the one responsible for framing her.

It was strange; she almost wished it had been the former Sith assassin that had done it all and not the last person she would have expected to betray her.

Ahsoka wondered how Barriss was coping; even now she couldn't believe the young Mirialan was the one to have turned against her very beliefs and killed innocent people in order to expose the Jedi for what they had become.

That was it though; she had exposed the Jedi, at least Ahsoka thought so. She didn't agree with what Barriss did, not by a long shot, but if the former Padawan accomplished anything, it was that she opened Ahsoka's eyes to what the Jedi Council were willing to do in order to insure their own survival.

They had lost their trust in her, so how could she trust herself or them? Anakin understood and Obi-Wan may have understood, but the others didn't.

Even Plo Koon, the one Jedi Master she had once trusted more than any other had lost his faith in her.

Even Shaak Ti, a fellow Togruta and someone Ahsoka would have thought to be a close friend had remained silent when she had been condemned for escaping the Republic prison and only continuing to run as her will to survive and her instincts drove her on.

Ahsoka opened her eyes and sniffed back another wave of tears, none of that mattered now, there was no way to change the past even if she wanted to, she was alone now and she had to remain strong and true to who she was as she knew no one else would.

It was only then that Ahsoka noticed the small crack in the floor where she had landed her fists and the faint smell of liquid fuel began to fill her flared nostrils as she shuck herself back to reality.

Ahsoka composed herself long enough to move her gaze towards the small crack and peak into the darkness which she now realised was a small basement.

She took a deep breath and gathered her senses, the drive to find her lightsaber briefly overcoming her broken emotions as she picked herself up to her feet and began to search for a way that would lead into the basement beneath the ruined warehouse.

It didn't take long before Ahsoka found her way down, the entrance taking the form of a crate covered hatch that opened to reveal an old and rusted ladder which descended into the darkness, a ladder Ahsoka now found herself clinging to as she slowly made her way down towards the basements surface, her Togruta instincts helping her as she scanned the area for danger while also leading her to a large lever that she assumed would activate whatever was using the fuel which was now causing her to hold her nose against her left armguard as she used the force to push the rusted device downwards.

The low hum of whatever the lever was attached to then filled Ahsoka's montrals as the warehouse seemed to slowly come to life, revealing the source of the fuel to be an old fusion generator which sat in the far corner of the basement, leaking small droplets of what Ahsoka guessed was battery acid into a growing pool as it seemed to struggle to stay active.

Ahsoka's eyes then lit up as she spotted a shining silver tube shape sitting in the pool of acid and she quickly made her way towards the now shrieking generator as she felt her spirits begin to lift and a small but somewhat meaningless smile spread across her lips.

That small moment of happiness however was short lived as Ahsoka knelt down to retrieve her lightsaber, only to find that the still leaking acid had caused the steel of her weapon to slowly melt away, until only the top half of the tube was visible.

Ahsoka acted quickly to save what she could of her sabre, using the force to lift the light steel tube out of the glowing green pool before letting it rest in the centre of the room as she made her way over to examine the damage, it didn't look good.

The entire lower half of the lightsaber had been completely melted away, meaning anything that could give the weapon power has now nothing more than a smoking pool of greenish blue liquid next to the struggling generator.

The top half of the weapon had fared a little better, though without power it was rendered almost useless to her.

Ahsoka frowned, "At least my crystal survived…" she said in a low tone, a feeling of both relief that her most precious possession, the small crystal she had retrieved on Ilum during her Gathering almost seven years prior had survived, and despair at the fact that she would be unable to use the weapon again unless she was able to repair it, which was now a near impossible task.

Another shaky sigh escaped her lips as Ahsoka took what was left of her weapon to hand and stood from the kneeling position she had assumed in order to examine it, she then deactivated the generator and slowly climbed back up out of the basement to the warehouse above.

It didn't take long before Ahsoka found herself walking down the same path that had once led her to the warehouse in the first place and she couldn't help but wonder how her one time ally, Asajj Ventress was doing after Barriss' attack.

It was such a strange thought, stranger even than it had been when they first ended up helping each other like they did.

Maybe Barriss' intention was to frame Ventress for the attacks in order to save Ahsoka, maybe she really was sorry for what she had done to her friend.

Maybe, Ahsoka's mind was filled with maybe's, what if's and why's, all of which meant nothing now that she'd done what she felt she needed to do by leaving the Order behind, even if she was now regretting it, she needed to discover who she was, who she truly was, before she could move on to the next stage of her life, whatever that may now be.

Ahsoka's train of thought was interrupted then as she turned back once more to look upon the warehouse, "I swear, I'll never come back here" she whispered to herself, a quiet oath and a promise that she would no longer allow her past to rule over her thoughts, no matter how good or hurtful the memory may be, either way, it would only serve to cause her more pain.

The young Togruta then returned to the elevator in order to return to the surface, noticing the large circular hole that she had burned out of the cylindrical machines glass the night before as she remembered helping the young Twi'lek back to his mother, though only after he had helped her by stopping the elevator from crashing to the ground.

Another half-smile crossed Ahsoka's lips as she activated the control panel and began her slow ascension back to the surface.

There was only one last thing she wanted to do before finding a place to stay that night, one final piece of her past she wanted to find so that she could begin her new future and as the elevator came to a stop at the top of the massive pit, Ahsoka quickly decided to return to the nearby industrial area that stood near the prison she had not so long ago escaped and begin the search for her lost shoto.

Ahsoka walked slowly as she followed the many signs that pointed her towards the wide open plain of piping that adjoined the Republics largest prison, her pace picking up a little more as she passed the massive building and she turned her gaze away from the place she now only seen as a symbol of hurt for her.

The few Clone patrols she came across didn't seem to take much notice of her, though she wasn't exactly disappointed that they had thus far ignored her presence.

Ahsoka didn't want to have to face any of her former comrades after what had happened; presuming that most of the clones stationed at the prison probably hated her after their brothers had been killed by Barriss and made to look like it was in fact her that did it.

Even if they may now know that wasn't true, Ahsoka still felt as though she was partially responsible for their deaths and she feared that they may react badly if she tried to approach any of them, even if she wanted to say she was sorry for all the pain she so believed she had caused them.

Now it was silent again, Ahsoka had kept her head down as the entire distance between the prison and the beginning of the pipe plain, an area that was now shrouded in complete darkness, a change that seemed surprisingly unusual to her, as Ahsoka once again thought back to the previous night, when she was being hunted by searchlights and shot at by the perusing troopers.

Ahsoka did however notice one particular area of the seemingly unending pipes that was lit up, the area she now made her way towards as she followed the same path along the massive tubes that led to what was left of the walkway where the blast from a Clones rocket launcher had knocked her shoto into the darkness below.

A total of six floodlights now stood in a hexagon around the damaged area, lighting up the entire blast region that had been mostly cleared, say for the remains of the largest part of the walkway which had become lodged in one of the nearby pipes.

Ahsoka let out a small sigh as she finally entered the area, though she wasn't quite sure if she should be happy or worried that the area had been almost completely cleared, knowing that her shoto may have also been moved and fearing that it had been.

She combed the area slowly, beginning on the eastern side and making her way towards the ruined piece of walkway that lay in and against the equally ruined pipe.

It was then that Ahsoka shot her gaze up to the sky as a startling crack of thunder pierced and destroyed the almost eerie silence.

Ahsoka franticly scanned the area without much attention as she desperately searched for her shoto, though, much like she had at the warehouse before finding the lower basement, Ahsoka was failing to see any trace of her secondary weapon.

"No, no, no!" Ahsoka screamed in frustration as another loud crack of thunder echoed overhead and the first few droplets of the incoming storm began falling from the gathering clouds.

She panted heavily; feeling tears begin to roll down her cheeks as Ahsoka almost dived forward and landed with a thump underneath the shelter of the fallen walkway.

The rain then became more and more heavy, until the entire area around Ahsoka was coated in a layer of water, say for the only dry spot under the covered steel she now sat under and another loud blast filled the air from the sky above.

Ahsoka pulled her knees to her chest for warmth as the air began to cool, a course of heavy sighs escaping her lips as a fresh wave of tears ran down her once again flushed orange cheeks.

"I… I can't…" she spoke though her now full sobs, the realisation of her situation finally hitting home as she suddenly became aware of what had happened and what was happening to her. She was alone, she was afraid and most of all, she was lost.

An intense darkness then smothered the area as the flood lights gave out after a nearby lightning strike, leaving Ahsoka to hug her knees closer to her body as she tried with all her heart to find a reason why she was here.

It hurt so much, more than she would have suspected it to, but now that she found herself sitting in the cold, lonely darkness underneath a raging storm, Ahsoka finally felt her heart painfully and cruelly break as she closed her stinging eyes and drifted off into dark and lonely sleep.

* * *

**Disclaimer: **Disney and Lucasfilm Limited own all Star Wars characters and concepts. I do not own the rights to any of the characters, locations or anything to do with Star Wars. Any Original Characters and or locations however are my own.

**Author's Notes: **And we are finally underway!

Thank you all so much for reading and I hope you enjoyed this proper opening chapter.

One of the things I want to try and hopefully achieve with this story is a rise and fall of differing emotions as the tale advances and as would be expected, the first few chapters will deal with Ahsoka's feelings right after leaving the Jedi Order and finally beginning her new life later on.

I can only hope to reach the level that so many others have set so high with their own takes on the events which followed the events of the season 5 finale, but as always that's for all of you to judge so I really appreciate all of the reviews you leave and I look forward to reading both your views and or constructive criticism as it only helps to encourage me to improve.

Also, tomorrow is my birthday, so a review would be an awesome birthday present, be it good or bad, I always love to read what you guys think.

Anyways, thank you all once again for reading and I will catch you guys next time, cheers!


	3. New Days Dawn

**Ascension**

**Chapter 3**

**New Days Dawn**

* * *

The bright rays of the morning sun barely escaped through the ever thickening grey clouds as Coruscant greeted a new day. Ahsoka blinked twice to try and adjust her stinging baby blue eyes to the sudden intrusion of light as she was roused from the slumber she had forced upon herself the night before.

She shivered, the storm had past but the world around her had not regained any kind of beauty or perspective that she may have futilely hoped for, but instead left behind a blistering cold, a damp surface and a bleak looking sky.

A small broken sigh escaped Ahsoka's lips as she rubbed her shaky arms. Her back was sore, as were her legs, the effects of sleeping on the cold hard ground underneath a ruined walkway that only helped to pile onto her already long list of sorrows as she somehow found the strength to make it back to her feet.

At first, Ahsoka thought about searching for her shoto one last time, but she quickly pushed it out of her mind. The area had been cleared to the point that she was sure her secondary weapon now lay in the hands of a Clone, was brought back to the Jedi Temple or, force forbid, was sitting on the desk of a Tarkin like official back at the Republic Prison.

The mere thought of Admiral Tarkin made Ahsoka frown; she had never before been treated as unfairly or begrudgingly as she had while under his authority. She may have said she hated him if not for her being Jedi, though then again, she no longer had to stand by that way of life, even if she knew she wanted to.

Ahsoka sighed again as she stepped out from underneath the fallen walkway and looked back towards the prison, deciding to return to the senate district, but only if she could avoid the massive building along the way.

Eventually she found a way back to the main city that meant having to jump across several rows of piping was well as a twenty foot tall fence that separated the vast plain from the first of a few abandoned streets.

It took a little more out of her than expected, but Ahsoka was glad to put the prison and the industrial areas behind her, as she finally felt her body temperature rise from the activity and began to make her way towards the large central market that sat about a mile away from her current location.

The market was a wide open square where merchants from both on and off world would gather to trade their goods to the many differing classes of the capital planet.

Ahsoka walked from stall to stall as she looked for something that would act as a quick breakfast. It was still relatively early, about an hour past dawn if her guess was correct and many of the usual stalls had yet to be set up properly, not that that was a bad thing, as it allowed her to move freely through the square as she searched for some food and water.

It was then, to her great relief, that Ahsoka spotted a small fruit stall near the centre of the square which had already began serving a few early birds that looked for a quick yet healthy way to begin their long working day.

She paused a few yards away and dug her hand into the small pouch that hung from her belt, "Fifty credits" she whispered with a frown as she finished counting the small metal chips, she had enough for her breakfast, but beyond that, she worried about just how far she would be able to go before having to find a source of income as well as a place to sleep that wasn't as cold and hard as the ground she had slept on the previous night.

"Can I help you, little one?" the voice of the vendor broke Ahsoka out of her daze and she looked up to see a tall human male smiling at her as he gestured for her to come and browse his selection.

Ahsoka took a moment to look at the many fruits and vegetables before one on particular caught her eye, "Um… how much for a sihan peach?" she asked somewhat hopefully as she lifted her questioning gaze back to the man.

"Are you alright darling? You look like you've spend the night in the gutter" the man observed with a tone of concern, though his observation wasn't too far away from the truth.

Ahsoka frowned, "I… I'm fine, it was a bit of a rough night" she spoke in a low voice and added a small sigh as she finished.

The man seemed to take a moment to think before speaking again, "Take one, on the house" he finally said with a small but sad smile as he pointed toward one of the yellow fruits, "I won't stand by and let a pretty little thing like you go hungry in times like these, bad enough the Republic is taxing everything as it is to keep their darn war going, you go ahead and take a few if you want, save your credits and get away from this place" he added with another small smile.

Ahsoka lifted her gaze and gave the vendor a somewhat startled look, "No, I couldn't…" she tried to object.

"I won't hear it" he interrupted as he took a small plastic bag and began filling it with the peaches she had set her heart on, "Take them" he added, offering her the bag which she reluctantly accepted.

"Thank you, but, I wouldn't feel right just taking these" Ahsoka replied, counting five of the yellow peaches before she looked back at the smiling man and opened her hand to reveal the few credits she had.

"Don't mention it darling, like I said, someone as young and well-mannered as you shouldn't have to scrape by like most of the scum around here, now eat up, keep your credits and try and get yourself off this planet" he said, smiling throughout before he closed her hand again with his own.

Ahsoka almost had tears in her eyes, "Thank you… so much…" she managed to say though a small smile of her own as she placed the credits back in her pouch.

The vendor nodded, "Like I said, don't mention it" he smiled, "Now you run along little missy, enjoy your breakfast"

Ahsoka smiled again, giving the man a small bow before she turned and walked toward the far side of the market where a small sitting area awaited.

She sat down quietly, setting the bag beside her and taking out one of the peaches as she let out a small sigh and smiled to herself.

It hadn't struck her until then, but the one small act of kindness that the vendor had shown Ahsoka was enough to left her spirits higher than she though they could reach after all that had happened.

The world, the galaxy even, had seemed so remorseless and dark the night before, and Ahsoka had genuinely believed that the notions of good and happiness may have just been illusions cast by those who didn't want to believe in the reality, that however was now an afterthought.

Ahsoka gratefully sank her canine like teeth into the sweet fruit, savouring the taste as well as the thirst quenching juices as she once again let a wide smile cross her lips. No matter how dark the world may have seemed didn't matter to her anymore, there was good in the darkness and she only needed to find it, the vendor had thought her that much and it came as a bright and genuine relief to her as all of a sudden, the world seemed a little bit brighter.

Now all Ahsoka needed to think about was where her future lay, she was sure she needed to leave Coruscant, there was nothing for her on the capital planet anymore, nothing, except reminders and now she wanted to forget, she wanted to go home.

"Shili" she whispered her home planets name as she finished her breakfast. It had been just over thirteen years since she had been taken away from her home by Master Plo Koon, thirteen years, and she never really thought about it.

Her home, her family, she had worked so hard to keep with the Jedi code, so much so she had forgotten about them both, but now, now she wanted to remember them, no, she wanted to see them.

Seizing the moment of inspiration, Ahsoka quickly tied the small plastic bag to her belt and stood up from her seat as a plan formed in her head. Fifty credits probably wouldn't be enough to barter passage to Shili, but there was another way.

Ahsoka made her way back to towards the centre of the market, giving another small smile to the fruit vendor before she quickly started to make her way north towards the Republic ship yards where the Resolute II and her Starfighter awaited.

Maybe it wasn't the best of plans, but then again, she never really thought her moves out, a trait she had shared with her master though that was something she wasn't keen on thinking about.

Her Jedi Starfighter was the only mode of transport she had to her name and even though she was no longer a member of the Order; it was still hers to do with as she wished, or at least that's what she was telling herself.

Ahsoka eventually found herself running as fast as her legs would carry her through the ever crowding streets as she continued towards the shipyards, the hope that both the Resolute and in it her fighter were still docked there driving her on before she came to a sudden and forced stop in a place she hadn't anticipated she would cross again.

She turned, the Jedi Temple towering above her as she once again felt her heart become unbearably heavy. The ancient building was a hive of activity today. Jedi, Clones, droids and others streamed in and out of the temple as the planet slowly awoke to another new day.

Ahsoka took a moment to look up towards the stairs she had walked down the evening prior and she couldn't help but wonder how her master was doing.

Her leaving hurt him, almost as much as it hurt her, Ahsoka was sure of that and deep down she hoped that he would forget about it, that he would forget about her and become the Jedi Master he had always wanted to be.

It hurt even now. Ahsoka had always dreamed of becoming a Jedi Knight, her training had been difficult at times, but that had only served to spur her on to become a better Padawan and make her master proud.

She began to wonder, the code had always been important to her and yet she, like Anakin, had broken it time and again in order to do what they felt was right.

He had always taught her that the code could be flexible when it needed to be though she never really understood what he meant by that, well, not until she herself realised just how far he had gone.

She knew, but she never said anything, she cared for Anakin too much to tell anyone about it. She had tried so hard to understand it at first, she even once thought to confront him about it but she never did, she remained silent, until the very end.

"Goodbye, master" Ahsoka whispered softly as a single tear ran down her cheek and she once again looked up at the ancient building, "Goodbye, Anakin"

Wiping the tear away, Ahsoka once again began to walk northwards, leaving her heavy heart behind as she looked to finally move on from her former life, even if she knew it wouldn't be easy.

As she walked, Ahsoka went over the plan once more in her head. It wouldn't be a simple case of walking into the shipyards, boarding the Resolute II, readying her fighter and just taking off. The security in and around the dock area's were tighter than anywhere else on the planet, even the senate building wasn't guarded as much as the many ships and cruisers that were constantly moving to and from the massive docks.

Ahsoka could only hope that the news of her leaving the Order hadn't spread yet and that she could use the "I'm a Jedi" line to get passed security as fast as possible, otherwise, she would to resort to a little force persuasion, either way, violence was out of the question.

"Halt!" a Clone Troopers voice shouted as Ahsoka approached the main gates to the shipyard, "Identify yourself"

Ahsoka froze a little, "Here goes…" she whispered to herself as she took in a deep breath and approached the clone, "I'm Jedi commander Ahsoka Tano, I'm here on official business" she spoke with an air of authority, though deep down she was beginning to panic a little.

The clone took a moment to think before he responded, though when he did, it was with a quick solute before he activated the control panel next to him and the high steel gate slowly slid open, "Apologies Commander Tano, please, continue on" he said with wave of his hand.

Ahsoka sighed, a wave of relief washing over her as she slowly walked past the clone, "Um… thank you, as you were trooper" she said with a dignified smile before moving passed the gate as it closed behind her.

Another heavy sigh escaped her lips as Ahsoka quickly made her way to the nearby control station and checked to see if the ship next to her was indeed the Resolute II.

She scrolled down the list, "Docking bay six… and this is… docking bay five" she said out loud as she turned and looked east towards the next docking bay and felt yet another wave of relief wash over her as she seen that the cruiser was indeed still docked there.

There was however one problem that Ahsoka hadn't taken into consideration and as she crossed the long bridge that connected the two docking bays she watched as an entire battalion of the 501st Legion loaded supplies on to the vessel while others patrolled the area in groups of twos and threes a sight that didn't help to calm her already fragile nerves as Ahsoka slowly entered the area and tried to look as inconspicuous as she possibly could.

Ahsoka kept her head down as she tried to avoid the circling patrols; thus far she had managed to simply walk through the landing zone without attracting any attention though that didn't last too long.

As she was about to turn the corner and walk up the wide ramp that would take her on to the vessel another loud cry of "Halt!" echoed from behind and Ahsoka was forced to freeze once again and hope that the same excuse would suffice.

"It's alright trooper, I'm Commander Ah… Ah…" she stuttered as she turned to face the incoming Clone, though she quickly realised that this was not just an average trooper but a higher ranking clone she knew all too well, "Rex…"

Ahsoka dropped her head quickly as the Captain came to a stop in front of her on the ramp and her hopes that she may avoid being discovered all but died with the sound of Rex's footsteps.

"Ah… Ahsoka? What are you doing here" the Captain asked with a surprised tone as she lifted her head to look up at her former comrade.

Ahsoka frowned, "Rex, I… I can explain" she replied with a slight stutter, "You heard, huh?" she asked, dropping her head once more.

The Captain sighed as he removed his helmet and placed it at his side, "Yeah, we all did" he replied, "How've you been, kid?"

Ahsoka's eyes widened as she looked back up at the Captain, "Not good, if I'm honest… I never thought…" she paused, the heavy feeling returning to her heart as she sighed sadly, "I never thought it would end like this…"

Rex placed his hand on her shoulder, a touch that slightly surprised Ahsoka as she once again looked up at the clone, "None of us did… I never believed you were behind the bombing, or the murder, the whole thing stank, but our noses had been out in the cold for too long" Rex said with a tone of regret as he frowned down at her.

"I'm glad someone else besides Anakin believed in me… "Ahsoka replied with a small but sad smile, "Thank you, Rex" she added, wrapping her arms around the Captain as she let her emotions get the best of her, though she was glad when Rex returned her hug.

"You don't have to thank me, kid" he said with a smile, "So, why are you here?" he quickly asked as she broke the hug and took a small step back.

"I… I need my Starfighter, I need to leave this planet, there's nothing for me here anymore and I want to go home, I want to go back to Shili" she replied with a tone of desperation, hoping that Rex would allow her one last favour and let her take what she needed in the form of her craft.

The Clone Captain seemed to sink into thought as he looked past her to the Resolute's hanger, "You won't get far without your hyperspace ring, or some supplies and fuel" Rex finally said with a small smirk.

Ahsoka's eyes widened once more as she looked at him with hope, "So, you'll help me?" she asked, her tone matching her look.

Rex smiled with a small nod, "I owe you an apology, I ordered your capture by any means necessary back at the prison… this is the least I can do to make amends" he replied, before placing his helmet back over his head.

Ahsoka smiled widely, wrapping her arms around Rex once more as she felt tears welling up in her eyes, though this time, they were tears of joy, "Thank you, Rex… thank you so much"

* * *

**Disclaimer:** Disney and Lucasfilm Limited own all Star Wars characters and concepts. I do not own the rights to any of the characters, locations or anything to do with Star Wars. Any Original Characters and or locations however are my own.

**Author's Notes: **Man, I love when a chapter's ending is a happy one :-P

I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter as much as I did writing it. After having Ahsoka feeling so down in the dumps in the previous chapter I wanted to give her a little bit of hope that there's still a lot of good in the galaxy and hopefully she'll be able to find that good when she finally returns home, with Rex's help of course.

Just also want to say a massive thank you to everyone who's reviewed, followed and added this story to their favourites after chapters 1 and 2, the response has been more than amazing and I couldn't be more thankful to you guys for showing so much support so early into Ascension's writing. I hope I can continue to keep you all happy and make this story one you will all like and enjoy as much as possible.

From here on in I hope to be able to update weekly with at least one new chapter every weekend, I hope that's okay with you all and of course I'll try my best to be as consistent as possible.

But yeah, thank you all so much once again for reading and I will catch you guys next time, cheers!

* * *

**Responses: **

**- Snips1212: **Thanks so much for your review, I'm really glad you like the story so far and I hope you continue to enjoy it. Also, thanks for the Birthday wishes! :-)


	4. No More Goodbyes

**Ascension**

**Chapter 4**

**No More Goodbyes**

* * *

The sound of R7's playful chirping broke Ahsoka out of a short but deepening moment of thought as she smiled and gently patted the top of her reliable astromech.

It hadn't been long since Rex had returned with the droid as well as a small pile of supplies which he thought would come in handy for her journey to Shili, a pile which included a sleeping mat, a rather large camouflage net, a small silver box from her room which contained some if not all of Ahsoka's clothes and finally, to her delight, a whole freeze crate of fresh sihan peaches.

"Looks like I'm ready…" Ahsoka spoke in a low tone as she finished loading her supplies into her Starfighter's cargo hold and in one quick motion, used her hands to lift herself onto the wing of the Eta-2 Actis-class light interceptor where she now sat.

Much like the Temple had been, the Resolute II was a hive of activity, with Clones loading an abundance of different supplies, weapons and vehicles into the massive cruisers hanger bay.

Ahsoka was slightly surprised that word of her leaving the Jedi hadn't gotten around as fast as things of that nature usually did, though that wasn't to say she wasn't thankful that it hadn't.

Rex had explained that Torrent Company were the only troops who knew she had left and that was only because Anakin had briefed them the night before as they prepared for their next mission.

The clone captain had also told her just how much her now former master was suffering without her, another revelation that only proved to add to Ahsoka's heavy heart as she once again hoped that Anakin would someday be able to forget about her.

It wouldn't be easy for him, she knew he cared for her just as much as she cared for him but Ahsoka also knew that he would have to let her go if he was to become the Jedi he was destined to be.

He was the chosen one, he was going to bring balance to the force with or without her, though, Ahsoka didn't really know if that thought was comforting or even more heart breaking.

"You're all set then?" Rex asked as he broke Ahsoka out of yet another small daze of thought and came to slow stop in front of the wing she was sat on.

She nodded with a small but sad smile as she hopped off the wing and wrapped her arms around one of her oldest friends one last time, "Take care of yourself, Rex, I'll miss you" she spoke softly, feeling a tear roll down her cheek as she felt the Clones gloved hand gently pat her shoulder.

"I'll miss you too, kid" he replied with a regretful tone as he broke their embrace and offered her a small datapad, "Here's the codes for your hyperspace ring, I disabled the tracking beacon too, so you won't have to worry about anyone following you" he added with a small smile as she gratefully accepted the small device.

Ahsoka returned his smile with one of her own as she placed the datapad inside the cockpit, "Thanks, Rex, you've done so much for me, I only wish I could repay you" she said with a thoughtful tone.

Rex chuckled, "Think of this as me paying you back for saving my behind on Skytop Station a few years ago" he said with a grin before placing his helmet back on his head and gesturing her into the awaiting Starfighter.

Ahsoka nodded with another small smile as she hopped into the cockpit and placed the datapad into her navigation computer, "There's just one more thing I need to ask off you, Rex" she said as she turned to look at the clone once again.

"Anything, just name it" he replied, taking a step toward the craft and detaching the fuel line from its side as R7 was lowered into the fighters dorsal socket.

"Don't tell Anakin" she said simply, knowing that he would understand what she meant and making the decision that she wouldn't want her former master to come after her if he did find out where she was going.

Rex sighed, though he followed up with a nod, "Not a word" he replied, "Now, you better get goi…"

"Ahsoka!?" Rex was halted from finishing his sentence as a shout echoed from the other side of the massive hanger and a voice that Ahsoka knew all too well filled her montrals for the first time since she stood in the rays of the setting sun the night before.

"Anakin…" she said as her eyes widened and she turned to see the Jedi Knight staring at her from across the hanger bay floor with a look of both surprise and regret taking over his tired looking features.

Ahsoka acted quickly, this wasn't what she had wanted, she had hoped so much that she wouldn't have to look into those cold blue eyes again and have to say goodbye, no, she wouldn't have to.

The hatch of Ahsoka's Starfighter closed, allowing her to activate the crafts engines just as she looked one last time only to see Anakin begin to make a run for her position.

She looked at him sadly while the ship began to ascend towards the Resolute's open hanger doors and gently placed her hand on the cold glass of her cockpits side window as he came to stop and seemed to shout up at her, begging her to stop.

Ahsoka felt the tears streaming from her eyes but she didn't acknowledge them, all she could do was look down as Anakin became nothing more than a small and unrecognisable dot at the bottom of the ever shrinking hanger bay.

She felt him touching her thoughts, begging her not to go, pleading with her to let him talk to her at least one more time, but deep down and as much as she wanted to, Ahsoka knew those were things she just couldn't do.

Another loud beep from R7 once again failed to break Ahsoka out of yet another tearful moment of thought as the small droid signalled the upcoming attachment to the hyperspace ring.

Ahsoka hadn't even noticed that her ship was now ascending through the thick morning clouds of Coruscant's skyline nor did she notice when her fighter came to a slow halt and attached itself to the larger ring that would allow her to travel back to her home world.

She sighed heavily, allowing a few seconds to gather herself as she turned her gaze toward the NaviComputer that was lighting up in front of her and finally gave in to her grief as she let her tears stream freely down her cheeks.

"Goodbye…" she whispered through her sobs as she finally activated the flashing panel and she was enveloped in the bright, silent and swirling vortex of hyperspace.

* * *

**Disclaimer:** Disney and Lucasfilm Limited own all Star Wars characters and concepts. I do not own the rights to any of the characters, locations or anything to do with Star Wars. Any Original Characters and or locations however are my own.

**Author's Notes: **Hey guys, hope you liked this chapter.

Sorry if this update is a little shorter than usual, the original chapter was a lot longer but I decided that it would be better if I ended with Ahsoka finally leaving Coruscant and her former life behind than jump straight to her arrival over Shili.

To make up for the shorter chapter, I'll try my best to upload chapter 5 either tomorrow or on Sunday night, I hope that's okay with you all.

Also, thanks for all the reviews, favourites and follows over the last week, your support has been unbelievable so far and I want you all to know that I really appreciate it and am looking forward to reading more of your thoughts soon.

Anyways, thank you all once again for reading and I will catch you guys next time, cheers!


	5. Starlight Lullaby

**Ascension**

**Chapter 5**

**Starlight Lullaby**

* * *

"_Ahsoka!" Anakin called from across the flaming field in front of the ruined Republic cruiser as the young Togruta tried to make it back to her hurting feet._

_The air around her was heavy with the scent of leaking fuel, the ground beneath her was hotter than the surface of a dying star and the sky above her was dark, darker than it should have been, even with the rising smoke, then It hit her, in more ways than one and before Ahsoka could call to her former master for help, the world, as well as her thoughts and senses, became nothing more than a blackened void._

* * *

Ahsoka almost leaped out of the semi-comfortable position she was seated in as the sound of her starfighter's hyperspace alarm sounded throughout the small crafts cockpit, rousing her from the nightmare infested slumber she had forced herself into after leaving Coruscant and her former life behind her.

A quick yet heavy breath escaped her lips as she wiped the many beads of sweat from her forehead and flushed orange cheeks before she finally managed to gather herself long enough to activate the flashing navicomputer in front of her and ready her ship to drop out of hyperspace as it neared its destination.

Shili, the home planet of the Togruta shinned like a bright green and blue orb as the swirling white vortex of hyperspace disappeared around Ahsoka's ship and left her to ready herself for the final approach to the surface of the planet she now hoped she could once again call her home.

It took a moment for her to notice it, but Ahsoka couldn't help but let a small smile cross her lips as she gazed at the planet before her and once again turn her attention to her navicomputer as R7 chirped happily through the smaller screen beside the crafts controls.

"That's right R7, we're finally home" Ahsoka replied to the small astromech's query with another smile before inputting her chosen co-ordinates into the ships drive and taking the control in her hands, "That forest looks a safe bet to land in, there's a lake about a mile north of it, perfect place for a settlement… I hope" she added as she stared at the planet map, eased the ships throttle forward and prepared to enter Shili's atmosphere.

It was only then however that R7 sent a loud and worrying call to the cockpit followed by another query as to why Ahsoka had not yet detached the ship from its hyperspace ring and insisting that it would be too difficult to land if the large device was still attached once they reached the planet's surface.

Ahsoka shuck her head, "I can't leave the ring up here, R7. If the Republic spots it they'll tell the Jedi Council and I'll be found out, worse still, if the Separatists see it…" she paused, dreading what could happen if the Confederacy came to investigate a Jedi presence, "I don't want to bring the war with me, I won't, this is my home again and I want my people to live in peace, no one can know I'm here or who I am, it'll be safer that way for myself and for my people" she added with a nod, committing once again to leaving her past behind her completely, as well as making a new promise never to invite the fires of war to the last place in the Galaxy she now wanted to see it.

Thus far, Shili had avoided any kind of enemy invasion and as far she knew, the Republic had not stationed any of its military forces their either, a fact Ahsoka wanted nothing more than to keep intact, even if it meant having to sacrifice her identity to do it, she would protect Shili at any cost, even if it meant her life, tough at the same time, she also never wanted to have to fight again.

Another loud beep from R7 brought Ahsoka back to reality once more as her ship passed through Shili's atmosphere and she was presented with the breath-taking view of the many forests, lakes and wide open plains that carpeted the planet's surface, as well as the wide expanse of ocean that sat between its continents.

"I'm not seeing any settlements on the database, R7. It almost looks as though the tribes don't want to be found…" Ahsoka responded to the small droids questions as she scanned both her navicomputer's many maps as well as the surface of the planet below for any sign of life or settlement.

R7 chirped a short answer of agreement as the droids own scanners seemed to be failing in finding anything solid enough to be seen as a place where one of Shili's many tribal Togruta could be settled. The tribes were mostly very secluded from the outside world and wider galaxy according to the Jedi Archives, in fact, it appeared to be a very rare occurrence when one or more would interact with anyone outside their own or another tribe in order to trade or help each other in terms of defence or to hunt.

Ahsoka sighed sadly; she had hoped she would be able to find one of the tribes that may know where her own extended family was located. It had nearly been fourteen years since she was taken away by Master Plo Koon to become a Jedi and since then she had been refused any acknowledgment as to where her family or her birthplace actually was located.

The elder Kel Dor had always told her she should forget about her past in order to succeed as a Jedi, something Ahsoka had at one point accepted later into her studies as an initiate, but now, now she regretted not perusing the matter, though at the same time, she never thought she would ever have or need to find them like she felt she now did.

It happened suddenly, but just as she was about to sink back into thought Ahsoka felt a powerful force echo wave through her mind, a soundless call from the planet below that instantly made her turn her attention toward an area on the northern edge of a vast forest where an equally massive lake acted as a natural gateway between one side of the continent and the other.

The force presence then seemed to call out again, though this time it was stronger and clearer to a point she could almost make out the signature perfectly. Ahsoka closed her eyes as the vision of a young female Togruta about her age appeared amid a field of wildflowers and looked up to the sky to see an unknown flying object descending toward the forest next to her.

It was then Ahsoka opened her eyes once more and looked off in the opposite direction to which the girl had been, and there, hidden underneath one of the almost unnaturally tall trees, sat a small village and a field of colourful flowers just like the one she had seen in her vision.

Ahsoka's eyes widened along with her smile as she finally spotted the few visible wooden structures that sat within the shadow of the great tree, as well as a number of small farms on the village outskirts which were being tended to by a small number of figures she know knew to be her fellow Togruta and members of what she guessed was a tribe as there didn't seem to be technology of any kind in and around the now visible farms that dotted the landscape.

"It's… beautiful" Ahsoka spoke with a softer tone as her craft descended to a level at which the windswept flowers could be viewed with awe, though she didn't have much time to take in the scene fully as R7 once again chirped a query as to where the ship should be landed.

Ahsoka took a moment to access her options before she finally came to a decision. The Togruta she had seen were definitely tribal, of that she had no doubt, so landing a ship in or around their village may not be the best idea as she wasn't sure how they would react, even if the craft did bare the insignia of the Jedi Order and the Republic.

No, the last thing she wanted to do was frighten the locals or make them angry and though it pained her to do it, Ahsoka knew she would have to hide her Starfighter as far away as she could, not only to appease the tribe she knew she would soon be visiting, but also to conceal her identity and make sure both herself and her people would not be endangered by her presence.

So, with a nod and quick flick of her fighter's controls, Ahsoka directed the nose of her craft south towards a semi visible clearing about seven miles away from the village and a place so deep in the forest she was sure no one except her would be able to find it or at least know where it was should she ever need it again.

It was a quick decision, perhaps a little not very well thought out, but right now she was willing to sacrifice her legs to fatigue at least this once if it meant keeping her identity a secret until she felt safe enough to reveal it to others, besides, now she would have the chance to learn a little about her home planets flora and fauna as well as its wildlife before interacting with the locals of the village to the north.

"Okay R7, detach the hyperspace ring as soon as we reach the clearing and guide it in to land flat on the ground, I'll take care of the rest" Ahsoka relayed her orders to the small astromech who chirped happily in acknowledgment as the fighter came to a slow holt just above the slightly shaded clearing.

From there it didn't take long for R7 to guide the large hyperspace ring to the ground while Ahsoka brought her craft in for a perfect landing next to the device before quickly deactivating her engines and powering down the fighters main systems as she prepared herself for the journey ahead, though it was only after Ahsoka opened the hatch of her cockpit that she slightly regretted landing so far away from the village.

"So warm…" Ahsoka managed to blurt out through a long and heavy breath as the full force of Shili's summer air hit her both from the setting sun above and the barely cooling breeze that struggled through the thick foliage of the forest around her.

Ahsoka wiped her brow with her right armguard as she allowed herself a few moments to adjust to the almost sweltering evening heat, while at the same time she slowly made her way to the small cargo hatch to her fighters rear in order to unload the few items she had decided to take with her as well as the supplies Rex had left for any journey she would have to undertake.

R7 beeped a small acknowledgment just as Ahsoka came to a stop at the cargo hatch and activated the small double doors' locks so that they swung open with a click. The small astromech then proceeded to re-seal the crafts cockpit and deactivate the rest of the Starfighter's systems, before finally ejecting itself from the dorsal hatch using its rocket boosters and making a steady landing next to Ahsoka as she rummaged through the few supplies she had.

The pair of extra fuel cells was the first to be removed, though Ahsoka knew she would be placing them back into their holds just as quick as she figured they would most likely never be used. Her smallish silver clothing trunk followed soon after, it wasn't heavy, but Ahsoka still needed R7's now attached rail in order to hold it as she was sure she wouldn't be able to drag it along by herself, especially in the heat.

Next came her backpack, followed closely by a sleeping mat and finally, the small freeze crate of fresh sihan peaches Rex had given her as a final gift before she left Coruscant for what she thought and silently hoped would be forever.

"Think you can carry all of that, R7?" Ahsoka asked with a smirk as she sat the small crate next to her clothing trunk and placed her backpack's straps over her shoulders, receiving a small chirp of assurance from the droid as she did, before reaching one last time into the cargo hold and pulling out the very last item remaining in the form of the large camouflage netting.

Ahsoka then placed the spare fuel cells back in their side-holds before re-sealing the cargo hatch and taking a step back with the folded up camouflage net still in hand. Then, with a deep breath and a slow pull on her power, she raised the netting into the air with the force and slowly began to unfold it until it was open enough to cover both her fighter and the hyperspace ring that sat closely next to it on the grassy clearing floor.

It took a little while, but eventually she was able to breathe a long sigh of relief as she carefully draped the net over both her craft and hyperspace ring and released her hold on the net so that the rest freely fell to the ground below with a small swish as the light breeze came close to catching the even lighter material in its grasp, though she made sure to use a few nearby rocks to ensure that wouldn't happen once she left the clearing.

With another sigh and a few more steps backwards, Ahsoka allowed herself a small smile as she inspected her work, though at the same time she was also relieved that the netting was just the right size and colour to blend it in with its surroundings in a way that it almost looked like a giant moss covered stone sitting right in the centre of the clearing.

Her tasks completed, Ahsoka gently tapped her hand on the side of her covered fighter one last time before turning to walk side by side with R7 into the forest and in the direction of the awaiting village as the sun was just about to set and end what was a long and trying day.

It had only been hours before that Ahsoka had woken up on the cold, hard and soaking wet ground of Coruscant's industrial region and now she was in a place that was a complete contrast to the world she had left behind.

Shili was indeed beautiful, the many plants and trees she had managed to see while walking alongside R7 through the few natural thin paths she had been able to find in the forest had made Ahsoka smile more than once as she let their beauty sink in and overtake any fleeting thoughts of hurt or worry that still haunted her thoughts.

It was still hard, thinking about all that had happened before she had left Coruscant and wondering what was now happening since she was no longer there to see it continued to linger despite her efforts, but she was also just as worried about who rather than what she had left and how much damage she may have caused in doing so.

Anakin of course was the first name to pop into her head. Leaving him to watch as she ascended into the clouds and out of his life forever must have hurt him, even more so than it had hurt her, though Ahsoka wasn't sure if she truly knew what her now former master could have been feeling at that difficult moment.

She could picture Rex trying and failing to calm him down, she could see him making a run for his own Starfighter in a hope of catching up to her only to find that her own crafts tracking beacon had been disabled and removed and that his efforts would only be in vain.

"I hope you're okay, master" Ahsoka spoke softly and quietly as she continued along the last flower steeped path that led towards an almost blinding light that cut into the slight darkness that the giant trees caused in blocking out the sun.

A few strides later and Ahsoka was greeted not only by the beauty of the setting suns final orange glow as it disappeared into the nights darkness, but also by the wide open plain of long green grass that seemed to stretch on forever into the horizon.

Ahsoka once again took a moment to let the breath-taking scene sink in before moving again. The arrival of the night had made the temperature of the air drop a little bit to a cool but pleasant level while the clear, cloudless skies above opened up a view of the millions of stars as well as two of Shili's six moons, one blue and one purple, as they moved ever so slowly with the planets rotation.

"You know, R7, I remember all of this" she spoke softly once more as she took her backpack off and placed it gently on the grass beneath her feet before rolling her sleeping mat out alongside it.

It was a strange feeling, but somehow gazing into Shili's night skies had woken up a few hidden memories that Ahsoka never knew she had, memories of a small hut on the edge of a great plain much like the one she now stood in, memories of a kind and gentle voice speaking to her as she was rocked slowly to sleep in the arms of another and memories of a lullaby that once would have calmed her in a way only the one reciting it could understand.

Ahsoka smiled as she lay her back on to the soft sleeping mat and gazed up at the night sky, these memories were of course of her mother, who would once have sang her little daughter to sleep on a night like this when everything was quiet and when the air was just as warm and welcoming as the softest blanket.

Maybe it was to do with her tiredness, but Ahsoka at that moment swore she heard her mother's voice call out to her against the cool night breeze, singing to her like she had when she was naught but a baby, cuddled up in her momma's arms and drifting slowly but peacefully into a deep and dream filled sleep.

_The sun may set and the moons may rise,_

_But I pray you not feel need to cry._

_Your heart is as pure as a mountain spring,_

_Your eyes as clear as the water it brings._

_May hope and joy give light to your dreams,_

_So the darkness of night is not as cruel as it seems_

_For in times of darkness you brighten the day,_

_Like a shining star that shows us the way._

_Now be still my daughter and close your eyes_

_For like the setting evening sun you shall at dawn live to rise._

* * *

**Disclaimer:** Disney and Lucasfilm Limited own all Star Wars characters and concepts. I do not own the rights to any of the characters, locations or anything to do with Star Wars. Any Original Characters and or locations however are my own.

**Author's Notes: **Hey everyone, I guess I have some explaining to do.

First of all, I'd like to apologize for taking such a long, long time to update and get a new chapter out for you all. I kind of hit a stumbling block as far as my inspiration goes and it took me a while to find it again as well as get over a period of writers block before I felt I could finally get back to writing this story to the best of my abilities.

Anyways, I really hope this chapter was worth the wait and I hope just as much that you all enjoyed it. I tried to really make this a little introduction to Shili as I imagine it while also setting the stage for Ahsoka's next step towards beginning her new life.

I promise from here on in things will get a little bit more interesting as Ahsoka adjusts to her new life, makes new friends and discovers what her life could have been like had Master Plo not taken her away to become a Jedi at the age of three and again I hope you all like what I'm able to come up with.

Also, I hope you liked the little lullaby. I was originally going to take an existing one and add a few things in to change it but I eventually decided to try my hand and write my own to see if I could and I'd love to know what you guys think of it as I've never really tried anything like it before.

Anyways, I'm babbling on again (sorry), but again, thank you all as always for reading and I will catch you guys next time, cheers!


	6. Tame Wildflower

**Ascension**

**Chapter 6**

**Tame Wildflower**

* * *

Ahsoka's first night on Shili was a surprisingly peaceful one. In fact it had probably been the most peace and quiet she had had in the years since she was thrown headfirst into the Clone Wars as a thirteen year old Jedi graduate.

It was no surprise however that her dreams had been mostly about her time as Anakin Skywalker's Padawan, but not the bad times, no, she had dreamed only of the few happy memories she had, memories that at one time would have been all that kept her going when the war had taken so much out of her, but of course, now she didn't have to worry about that.

A light yawn escaped Ahsoka's lips as she slowly rose from her sleeping mat and was greeted by the warm rays of the rising sun as Shili welcomed a bright new day.

The cloudless sky above looked as beautiful as she had remembered from her descent and a slightly cooler morning breeze only served to make her mood that much more better as the air fluttered through the long green grass of the plain and caressed her cheeks as she rubbed her eyes and took a moment to enjoy the silence before she would have to prepare for the journey towards the nearby village.

"Wakey, wakey R7, it's almost time to move out" Ahsoka said with a small smile as stood up from her mat and stretched her arms and legs before gently tapping the small astromech on its side.

R7 powered up with a loud beep of disapproval which made Ahsoka giggle before she playfully nudged the droid, "Don't complain to me grumpy, a Jedi always rises with the… sun…" she sighed, feeling her good mood wane a little as she once again sat down on her sleeping mat and held her knees to her chest.

Suddenly things weren't as bright as they had seemed, but the last thing Ahsoka wanted now was to fall back into despair. She took a deep breath and steadied herself a little; meditation wasn't something she ever really enjoyed doing, but right now it seemed like the best option if she was to keep her emotions in check.

It took a few moments, it always did, but eventually she was able to calm her thoughts enough to immerse herself in the world around her and sense the massive amount of life that inhabited the plains for a far as she could see through the force.

Mostly there were small creatures that seemed to travel in packs through the tall grass in search of food, further afield much bigger creatures ran alone, some in chase of the smaller animals while others simply rested on the edge of plains or drank from the nearby lake.

And then, at the furthest point of Ahsoka's reach, the enhanced force presence she had sensed the evening before kneeled down to tend to an invisible object. It didn't take much for her to figure out that the source of the power was indeed another Togruta and one who seemed to exude an air of complete peace and clarity in the force that she had never before sensed in even the most powerful of Jedi.

The mere feeling of the presence was soothing to her mind, there was so much happiness and content in this Togruta that Ahsoka felt herself smile softly as she attempted to touch this persons thoughts with her own, though surprisingly, she was unable to breach a seemingly unbreakable barrier which halted her advance and gently pushed back as the other Togruta became aware of the intrusion.

It was just then that Ahsoka could have sworn she heard a voice enter her own thoughts, questioning who she was and why her mind felt so conflicted.

She was about to answer, the presence of this other being seemed so calm and welcoming that she almost felt she could trust it enough with everything she held sealed away in the deepest depths of her subconscious, but before she could even attempt to communicate, another loud and piercing beep from R7 made Ahsoka snap herself back and look toward the startled droid, as her eyes widened with surprise.

"R7, FREEZE!" Ahsoka shouted the safety phrase she had installed in her astromech as she watched the droid spin and almost roll itself out of control in an attempt to shake off a small furry animal that was hanging on to the carrier rail sitting atop R7's head with a pair of small clawed paws.

The tiny creature chirped with delight as soon as R7 came to a complete stop and hummed yet another sound of disapproval at its master's order, while at the same time moving its sensors upward to where the small animal now sniffed and poked it's slightly pointed nose at the small freeze crate that held Ahsoka's sihan peaches.

She giggled, "Looks like I'm not the only one here who likes fruit, huh?"

The creature chirped again, though its eyes seemed to shoot open as it turned its gaze toward Ahsoka and a look of pure fear began to spread across its features.

What she didn't know was that this tiny animal was a Thimiar, a small rodent type creature native only to Shili and a favourite prey for the Togruta that hunted them.

The only problem however was that Ahsoka had no idea this was a creature she had once had the unfortunate pleasure of tasting almost six years prior when she was last on her home planet to earn her headdress. On that occasion, she had almost made Master Plo fall off his seat with laughter when, after one bite, it was discovered that the meat of the Thimiar didn't exactly agree with her stomach.

The fur on the Thimiar's back stood on end as Ahsoka took a small step forward and placed her hand atop the freeze crate, though she barely even got the chance to open the container as the small animal leaped high over her shoulder and, as soon as it landed, made a frantic run into the long grass, leaving only a small cloud of dust behind.

Ahsoka raised an eye marking as she quickly turned to face the now rustling grass, feeling a little confused as to why the small animal had suddenly become so spooked, though she didn't have much time to think about it, as R7 made a loud beep of relief and slowly made its way to its masters side.

"Odd…" was all Ahsoka could manage to say as she turned her attention back to R7 and once more placed her hand atop the cold freeze crate and opened it to remove her breakfast.

She ate quickly, wanting to waste no more time before beginning the journey north and, she hoped, meet the source of the strange force energy she had almost communicated with before the Thimiar interrupted.

After finishing her peach and packing up her things, Ahsoka made her way back to the shorter grassy path on the edge of the great forest with R7 in tow and, after getting her bearings, began the walk north with her sense kept wide open for any danger or a sign of the force presence she was now very curious to see.

The journey went by slowly, though she never expected it to be any different given the amount that R7 was carrying. The long walk did however give Ahsoka time to take in and admire more of the beauty that Shili had to offer.

There were plants that grew in bunches yet each one looked different, the trees that grew on the forest border differed in size from some that even R7 could tower over to some as big as the Jedi Temples five towers and then there was the air.

Every breath Ahsoka took was like she was inhaling some sweet, exotic fruit and she was not tiring of it even for a second as the grassy plain beside her became more and more the massive lake she took as a sign that she was getting closer and closer to her destination but before she could even think about that, a low but pleasant voice filled her montrals and the force presence she had been keeping her sense open to located seemed stronger than it ever had been, though this time, it was also much closer.

"Hello?"

Ahsoka froze in her tracks, the voice wasn't calling to her through the force, it was right next to her, sitting on her heels as she tended to a small bed of purple flowers, of course, the presence was none other than a young female Togruta.

"Um… hi there…" Ahsoka responded to the girls greeting as she quickly turned to meet her fellow Togruta's wide eyed questioning gaze.

The girl tilted her head, "Are you okay? You seem… lost" she said with a light tone as she placed her orange skinned hands on her legs and looked between Ahsoka and R7 who hummed a low sound of warning as it slowly backed away.

"No, no… I mean, I was just heading for the village up ahead to… get some supplies for my journey" Ahsoka responded quickly, trying her best to keep her tone calm but also fixing on her desire to keep her identity to herself.

The girl shook her head as she slowly got to her feet and brushed down her knee length purple dress and the diamond shaped sash that hung from a leather belt wrapped around her slim waist. Ahsoka also took note of the fact that the girl wasn't wearing any shoes and that her cream white top was strapless, showing a small set of white crescent moon shaped white markings on each of her shoulders.

"No, I mean, your thoughts are really scattered, I've never sensed so much conflict in someone before" the girl said with a small frown as she placed her hands behind her back.

Ahsoka raised an eye making in surprise, "You can… sense my thoughts?" she asked, though she already knew the answer.

The girl nodded, "Yeah, weird huh?" she asked simply, casting her gaze to the ground and sighing sadly.

"Not really, it's something I know a bit about actually…" Ahsoka stopped herself, "I mean, I can use the force too"

The girl lifter her gaze once again, "So… it **was** you, you're the one I sensed this morning" she said with a small smile before walking around the flower bed and taking Ahsoka's hands in her own, "You're the one who fell from the sky"

Ahsoka's eyes widened, obviously the girl had noticed her landing the evening before, but it was a bit of a surprise that one of her age was able to use the force to such an extent without the proper training. This girl was no Jedi, nor was she a Sith, she was far too calm for that, no, this was something different.

She could sense the calmness in this girls mind, she was in complete control of her power and she knew how to use it, but at the same time, she was using a form of protective barriers that halted Ahsoka from delving any deeper into her thoughts.

"My name's Cayla, Cayla Tey. I live in the village you're heading towards, I can bring you there if you want?" the girl spoke with a tone of excitement as she kept hold of Ahsoka's hands and turned them both to face the direction of the village.

Ahsoka smiled brightly, "Sure, I'd appreciate that, but… I think I should explain myself a little more" she said, continuing to hold her smile.

Cayla shook her head, "You don't need to, you're a Jedi right? I don't know of anyone else like me who can use the force?" she responded with a thoughtful smile as she once again tilted her head to the side and blinked her bright violet eyes.

A small feeling of panic rushed through Ahsoka's thoughts as she tried to process the question and think of an answer that would keep her cover intact, "No! No… I just… always thought I was the only one who could sense other people's thoughts" she spoke quickly, her panic getting the best of her despite her best efforts.

"But… I saw your ship. That **was** you, right?" Cayla asked with another small frown as she released her fellow Togruta's hands and took a step back.

Ahsoka bit her lip nervously, "Sorry… I've been journeying on foot for a while now… um… I've never even been on a star ship…" she replied, hoping that the girl would not pursue the matter any further, but at the same time she somehow knew Cayla wasn't that gullible.

The girl frowned, "Oh… sorry…" she said, turning her gaze to the ground as though she had done something wrong.

Ahsoka was quick to shake her head, "Hey, don't be sorry, you've done nothing wrong, I should have explained myself better in the first place, I just…" she paused, feeling bad for what she was about to say, "…I just thought I was the only one on Shili who could use this strange power, I really don't know much about it…" she lied, her stomach feeling that little bit more heavy as she finished.

"Me too… I was always told I was unique, but it's nice to know I'm not alone anymore" Cayla responded with a lighter smile, "But how rude of me, I don't even know your name?" she added, her mood seemingly lifting a little as she once again placed her hands behind her back and tilted her head to the side.

Ahsoka smiled, her own mood lightening a little, though she still felt a little bad for having to lie, even if it meant keeping her identity a secret, "My name's… Erin, it's nice to meet you, Cayla" she replied, deciding against using her real name, though even that only added to the heavy feeling that was now firmly settled in her stomach.

Cayla smiled softly, "You too, Erin" she said, "If you want, I can bring you to my village as soon as you're ready, I come out here every morning to tend to my flowers and make sure the Thimiar don't trample them, though when they do it usually means a quick breakfast" she giggled, before turning her gaze to behind Ahsoka and looking thoughtfully at R7, "What's that?"

Ahsoka turned to look at her droid who beeped the usual greeting sound of an R-Unit as it made its way back to Ahsoka's side, "It's… um… it's a droid, his name's Arseven, he's like my travelling buddy" she replied with a slight stutter.

"A droid? Did you get that in Cover City? I've heard that there are a lot of strange things there that can move on their own and sometimes talk, they're made of a shiny rock or something" Cayla asked thoughtfully as she kept her gaze locked on the small astromech.

It was a strange question, Ahsoka had read that most Togruta tribes were against the use of technology and instead lived only on what they could take from the land. Cayla's question however sounded so innocent and as she came to crouch down to R7's level, Ahsoka couldn't help but smile at the almost childlike curiosity that the young Togruta was now exhibiting.

"Hi there little guy" Cayla said with a small smile as R7 once again chirped a happy greeting which only helped to make the girl giggle once more as she carefully placed her hand on the droids dome shaped head while at the same time Ahsoka had to try and fight against her own anxieties to come up with a reason as to why R7 was with her in the first place.

"I found him…" she finally managed to blurt out, "He's been with me for a long time, I found him wondering around alone while I was travelling and he's been with me ever since, I guess you could say it was fate"

Cayla giggled again, "My mom always said our best friends are the ones we meet when we least expect it" she recalled thoughtfully before turning her head to once again face Ahsoka with a smile and receiving a small nod in response, "Okay, let's get going, my dad will kill me if I miss breakfast again".

Ahsoka smiled as Cayla stood upright gestured toward the northern horizon. From there, it didn't look like anything but the great forest to their left sat in the distance, though Ahsoka was quick to remember just how well hidden Cayla's village was.

The girl was nothing like anyone she had ever met before, she was so innocent and yet she was just as intelligent and kind hearted as even the most learned of Jedi and that was what made Ahsoka feel confident that she could trust Cayla, even though at the same time she would keep her real name to herself, not because there was anything lacking in that trust, but because she wanted to ensure she wasn't found and that Cayla's would be spared having to deal with the Republic, or worse the Separatists on account of what she was or used to be.

"You're from one of the northern tribes, huh?" Cayla broke Ahsoka's moment of thought as they walked and the young Togruta's bright violet eyes moved to stare at her new friend's feet.

Ahsoka raised an eye marking, though she still wanted to keep up the act, "What makes you think that?" she asked, though she thought that perhaps she sounded a little more nervous than she would have intended.

Cayla pointed her hand downwards, "Your boots, only the people of the northern tribes own and wear something like those and only during the winter months, it must be really strange not being able to connect with the planet for so long" the girl replied with a small shrug.

"Connect with the planet?" Ahsoka asked with genuine curiosity, though at the same time she wondered if she should know what Cayla was talking about.

"You know? We don't wear anything on our feet so that we can better connect with the planet, you do know about the tribal traditions? Right?" Cayla asked with a curious frown.

Ahsoka tried to think back to what she had read, but nothing she could think of reminded her of such a tradition, in fact, the Togruta traditions were something Master Plo had made sure to hide away from her as well as anything he deemed to be too much of a distraction, though now and once again, she wished she had done more to try and learn as much as she could about her people and their ways, but her devotion to the Jedi and her respect for Master Plo had been so great that at the time she wouldn't have even dared to think about going against them.

"Um… sure, it's just, I've been traveling through the forests so much and I'd be afraid that I might step on something" Ahsoka finally replied with a nervous laugh, though thankfully Cayla didn't seem to notice.

From there, Ahsoka continued to ask Cayla a few subtle questions in order to learn as much as she could about how the Tey tribe at least lived their day to day lives as well as what traditions were most important to them. She also learned that Cayla herself was a member of her tribes healing circle due to her ability to use the force and that her power was also kept a secret from most of her fellow Togruta as the Tey apparently had a clouded history when it came to force users, though she seemed to move away from that subject before Ahsoka even go the chance to ask.

Still, Ahsoka was enjoying getting to know a few new things about the life she would now be building for herself and as the Tey tribe's village finally appeared in the near distance, she finally felt as though now she could put her past behind her and maybe, just maybe with Cayla's help, she would soon be able to reveal her true identity and travel to the place of her birth in the hope of meeting her family.

* * *

**Disclaimer:** Disney and Lucasfilm Limited own all Star Wars characters and concepts. I do not own the rights to any of the characters, locations or anything to do with Star Wars. Any Original Characters and or locations however are my own.

**Author's Notes: **Thanks for reading guys.

I hope you liked this chapter; for the most part I want this story to show Ahsoka learning and living as part of a Togruta tribe before she is ready to return to her own and see her family again and I hope you all enjoy what I have planned.

The next few chapters will hopefully be a little more exciting once Ahsoka meets the Tey and gets involved in some of their day to day life. Ii also hope you all like my new original character, Cayla as I hope to make her an important part of Ahsoka's new life going forward.

Anyways, thank you all once again for reading and I will catch you guys next time, cheers!

**PS: **Thanks to everyone who left reviews last chapter and I'm sorry if I didn't get around to replying to all of them.


End file.
